How to Start a Non-Violent Revolution

Since 1980 dictatorships have collapsed before the predominantly nonviolent defiance of people in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Slovenia, Madagascar, Mali, Bolivia, and the Philippines. Nonviolent resistance has furthered the movement toward democratization in Nepal, Zambia, South Korea, Chile, Argentina, Haiti, Brazil, Uruguay, Malawi, Thailand, Bulgaria, Hungary, Zaire, Nigeria, and various parts of the former Soviet Union (playing a significant role in the defeat of the August 1991 attempted hard-line coup d’état).

In addition, mass political defiance has occurred in China, Burma, and Tibet in recent years. Although those struggles have not brought an end to the ruling dictatorships or occupations, they have exposed the brutal nature of those repressive regimes to the world community and have provided the populations with valuable experience with this form of struggle.

– Chapter 1, From Dictatorship to Democracy

We all know we have one of the longest running and most overwhelmingly non-violent movements in history. But to me, it’s always been a proud and exciting struggle to be a part of not only because it is principled, but because of its dynamic, and thus unstoppable, nature. And although we are in a very painful period of our struggle’s history with the continuing self-immolations, as noted by SFT’s Tendor on The Huffington Post, “one must look beyond the headlines to hear the incredibly uplifting stories of noncooperation, cultural renaissance, and creative resistance that have transformed Tibetan activism.”

There are many tools available to us non-violent fighters, and our success relies upon a variety of tactics used to pressure the Chinese government from every angle — think of how a group of bees can take down a large man, heck an army of men. It just a matter of knowing what we have in the enormous toolbox of non-violence resistance, and using as many of them as possible. So this Lhakar, I want to highlight the Tibetan translations of the works of the “father of non-violent struggle”: Dr. Gene Sharp. He is the man who has directly influenced successful movements during the Arab Spring, and indeed all over the world, and his precious wisdom is available online — for free, and in our language.

Please share these translations with your family, friends, and other Tibetans.

How many of Dr. Sharp’s 198 tactics (see below) have our people used? Many, but there are interesting ones that haven’t been explored yet. How cool would it be to “haunt” Chinese officials (#31) or to see Tibetan civil servants do a “sick” boycott (#112)? What about a dumping strike (#144)? What would we dump, and where?

Which ones have we used but not fully? Singings (#37)? Humorous skits and pranks (#35)?

Who knows, maybe us tsampa-eaters will invent even more methods? What about earth writing (#12) but on hillsides like we do for prayers, and coded somehow? Hmmm…

198 METHODS OF NONVIOLENT PROTEST AND PERSUASION

Formal Statements
1. Public Speeches
2. Letters of opposition or support
3. Declarations by organizations and institutions
4. Signed public statements
5. Declarations of indictment and intention
6. Group or mass petitions

Noncooperation with Social Events, Customs, and Institutions
60. Suspension of social and sports activities
61. Boycott of social affairs
62. Student strike
63. Social disobedience
64. Withdrawal from social institutions

Rejection of Authority
120. Withholding or withdrawal of allegiance
121. Refusal of public support
122. Literature and speeches advocating resistance

Citizens’ Noncooperation with Government
123. Boycott of legislative bodies
124. Boycott of elections
125. Boycott of government employment and positions
126. Boycott of government depts., agencies, and other bodies
127. Withdrawal from government educational institutions
128. Boycott of government-supported organizations
129. Refusal of assistance to enforcement agents
130. Removal of own signs and placemarks
131. Refusal to accept appointed officials
132. Refusal to dissolve existing institutions

International Governmental Action
151. Changes in diplomatic and other representations
152. Delay and cancellation of diplomatic events
153. Withholding of diplomatic recognition
154. Severance of diplomatic relations
155. Withdrawal from international organizations
156. Refusal of membership in international bodies
157. Expulsion from international organizations

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